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Teaching academic vocabulary

There is no single best way to teach terms and phrases. However, the research and theory on vocabulary development does point to a few generalizations that provide strong guidance. The following six steps can be helpful in teaching academic vocabulary. Develop an academic vocabulary journal and use it at each step of interaction with vocabulary to deepen understanding and gain meaning. The steps outlined correspond with the six steps that exemplify best practice in vocabulary instruction.

Step 1: Introduce Vocabulary

Provide students with a description, explanation, or example as opposed to a formal definition.

• Access Prior Knowledge: Think, Pair, Share, Double-pair, Class Share

Class discussion assimilates information from all groups of four.

o 20 seconds: Individually, think “What does ___ mean?”

o 30 seconds: With one partner, share what you think the term means.

o 40 seconds: With another pair write (or draw) what you decide together that the term means.

• Build on Prior Knowledge: I Know/Forgot/Understand/Need More Help

• Ask students to fold a sheet of paper in fourths.

• Tell them to fill in part 1 individually for the new term that you name.

• Tell them to fill in parts 2, 3, 4 as other students share what they wrote in part 1.

• After the class has shared, students will have an organized study sheet. They will have to pay the most attention to section 4, and the least attention to section 1.

• Examples and Non-examples

As students are learning new terms, provide them with both examples and non-examples and ask them to note similarities and differences to help with identifying the distinguishing feature.

• Connection: Math Word Meaning - Common Language Usage

Make a T-chart so that the word at the top of the chart is the “term” under discussion. On the left students write the meaning of the word as used in common language (in context outside of this discipline) and write a sentence with it that they might use in a daily conversation. On the right side students write the meaning of the word as used in specific discipline with a sentence. Students follow up with a deeper comparison by finding a similarity and a difference for these usages.

(See blank T-chart on next page.)

• Verbal/Visual Context

Use the word/term/phrase in a sentence related to something students have already studied.

|Term/word/phrase: |

| |Common Language Usage |Math-Specific Usage |

|Definit| | |

|ion | | |

|Use in | | |

|sentenc| | |

|e | | |

|Same? | | |

|Differe| | |

|nt | | |

Step 2: Restate Meanings

Have students generate their own descriptions, explanations, or examples.

• Rephrase Text

Pay attention to terminology used in directions/instructions as well as in text explanations.

Ask students to find alternative ways to express a term/phrase so that they will be better able to recognize their meanings when the directions/instructions are different than what is in their own textbook. As often as possible, students produce different ways to express a statement. Ask students to rewrite the sentence or the directions without using an identified term(s) and without changing the meaning of the sentence or problem.

• Concept Cards

Make concept cards for mathematical terms on 3 x 5 index cards or in a vocabulary journal as follows.

|Formal definition |Synonym or your own words |

|Labeled figure, graph, or diagram that |Any specific notation or special characteristics, attributes, or|

|helps you to understand the term |associations |

On the back of the card, write at least two sentences that express a relationship or connection between this term and another term in the discipline, concept, situation, or a real-world application of the discipline.

• Words to Symbols/ Symbols to Words

Write a statement using symbols, numerals, and variables instead of words. Write a statement using words instead of symbols, numerals, and variables. Write a question implied by the notation/symbols used in each statement without using any symbols.

• Word Whacker – Word Wall Activity for Definition Restating

Students select a word from the word wall (from a current word list or from the cumulative word list), write a definition on a 3 x 5 card in their own words, and pass the cards in to the teacher. Ask students to sign their names to the card. Two students stand at the word wall with a flyswatter or a rolled up newspaper. As the definitions are read by the teacher (the name of the contributor is not mentioned), the students try to be the one to ‘whack’ the correct word first. If there are issues with the definition as stated on the 3 x 5 card, corrections can be offered by the class members or the teacher so that the student can refine his understanding of the word. (Students cannot choose to define the same word as a card that they have already submitted for a previous word whacker session. Cards can be accumulated during the marking period and compose a vocabulary score.)

Step 3: Visuals in Vocabulary Building

Have students represent each term or phrase using a graphic representation, picture, or pictograph.

• Draw (or Trace) and Label Diagrams/Graphs

Some students are not adept at drawing their own figures. Allow them to trace diagrams from the text and label them appropriately. Tissue paper works well for this and can be taped to notebook paper. The same idea can be used with graphs from a graphing calculator or a computer drawing tool.

• Symbols

Be sure that students can identify the meaning of all symbols (math, science, map, proofreading, abbreviations, icons) and can use the symbol appropriately in writing in the content. Students should be able to identify concepts noted by both symbols and figures.

• Physical Movement and Academic Vocabulary

This activity helps students to association groups of words but also to distinguish between the words in the group. Do “word aerobics” by acting out the words in the lessons. Tap into the students’ creativity. Who has the best way to model this physically? Or play Simon Says: Simon says show_____. As a game: In one minute, use signals, arm positions, or motions to prompt your partner to say all the terms/words/phrases in one group in any order but without talking, drawing, writing, or spelling with sign language.

• Illustrations for Vocabulary that Convey Meanings

Connect the meaning of the term to the term through an illustration.

• Cartoons or Comic Strips

Students draw figures, graphs, etc. and as speaking cartoon characters and provide their thoughts or comments so that words and their meanings are associated.

• Matching – Concentration

Teachers (or students) create matching cards that illustrate vocabulary. After cards are matched, students can play the memory game “Concentration” and keep the pairs which they correctly match when they turn over two cards on their turn.

Step 4: Activities for Deeper Understanding

Periodically review the terms and phrases and provide students with activities that add to their knowledge base.

• Word Recall

Recall issues with the word and write in the journal or on the concept card any misconceptions or words with which the term can be confused.

• The Goal: Good Definitions

Establish rules for a good definition:

1) places the term being defined into a set,

2) describes how that term is different from other elements in the set,

3) is reversible.

Analysis: Students will ask themselves these questions:

o What is the set to which this object/term belongs?

o What is different about this object/term from the other elements in this set?

o Can I switch the subject and predicate nominative and still have a true sentence?

• Relationships between Terms – 3 ( 3 Grids

Write one term in each box of a 3 ( 3 grid. Students will write a sentence for each set of three terms in a line (Tic Tac Toe) that describes a relationship, states a fact, or gives characteristics. Do not allow students to write individual sentences about each terms and connect them with the word ‘and.’ There are a total of 8 sentences that can be written. Require all 8 (or only 5 or only 3 and then students can choose.) Differentiate by leaving the center box blank. Then students have four ways to write a sentence with only two terms.

• Relationship Building – Concept Circles

o Divide a circle into fourths using two diameters.

o Place four related words in the circle.

o Ask students to decide the title for the set of words.

o Ask questions based on the circle:

1. Why is each of these words related to your title?

2. Is another title appropriate for the set of words? Explain.

3. Could other words have been placed in one of the four sections of the circle?

4. Replace one word with a different word and determine a new title for the concept circle?

Alternate version:

o Divide a circle into fourths using two diameters.

o Tell students the title for the concept circle.

o Ask students to write 4 words in the circle that relate to this title.

o Have class members compare answers. Each student must justify their choice of words for their circle.

▪ How many different words did students relate to this word?

▪ Are there ways to group the class’ set of words into subsets?

• Related Words - Making Connections within the Content

This strategy helps the student identify mastered concepts, on which new knowledge can be built. It assists them in forming associations and categorizing new knowledge. Ask student to write down all of the other terms or words they know that can be associated with a particular term/word/phrase. Students explain why they listed as they did. They should discuss other words someone else included.

• Pairs or Groups of Terms

o Synonyms (or Almost Synonyms): If there is more than one term that means the same as the target term, use that synonym interchangeably with the new word. Some students may already have an understanding of the synonymous terminology. If there is not a synonym, there might still be a term that is similar enough to help students gain an initial understanding and will help students to make a connection to existing knowledge. Delineating any differences between the similar term and the new term adds to the students’ depth of understanding.

o Antonyms (or Almost Opposites): If there is a word(s) that students are already familiar with that groups with the new word in some way point out the connection being explicit about the differences. Mentioning meanings of word parts (prefixes) helps with this process.

o Belong Together – Why? Be careful about words that require sets of words to capture all of the characteristics that that word does not capture. Sometimes three terms are required to capture all cases for a situation.

• Linear Array for Ordering Words

This strategy enables students to not only group related words together but to place them in an implied order by virtue of their meanings. The teacher gives the first and last words in the array and students fill in any intervening cells.

This strategy lends itself to differentiation well. The teacher may indicate how many cells intervene or leave that to the student. The teacher may fill in some of the intervening cells when students are learning new terms and not fill in any after students have mastered concepts. Students can design their own arrays using many words which they group themselves. Students can use 3 ( 5 cards with the terms already written down and place them in sequential order; they could have a word bank, or they could be given the intervening words and the students fill in words for the beginning and the ending.

Give the intervening word(s) and have students fill in words for the beginning and the ending.

Specify the number of intervening cells.

Allow student to determine the number of intervening cells.

Establish some of the intervening skills to scaffold.

(Adapted from Words, Words, Words by Janet Allen, Stenhouse Publishers, 1999.)

• Use Analogies to Solidify Understanding of Relationships

Have students complete, extend, or write their own analogies using terms from the unit. Making a sentence that shows the relationship between the first two words/terms shown gives you some direction.

o Complete or extend an analogy given two terms.

o Give three terms of an analogy and ask students to fill in the remaining term.

o Make more than one pair of words in an extension of an analogy.

• Compare/Contrast Terms – Three Formats

1)

2) Venn diagram

[pic]

3) Graphic organizer

Step 5: Vocabulary Discussions

Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.

• Think – Pair – Share

Describe any ‘aha moments’ you have had concerning vocabulary. Discuss where you have seen the word in use. Explain how you recall the word and/or share your individual visualization.

• Word Wall Activities

Build a word wall by writing terms on an index card and putting them on a wall in the classroom. Periodically have discussions/questions about words on the wall.

o I am thinking of a word… (teacher gives clues until students select the proper word)

▪ What word means the opposite of ____?

▪ What word means the same as ___?

▪ What word(s) goes with ____?

▪ What words describe types of ____?

▪ What words describe this picture/diagram? (teacher displays a picture, graph, diagram, etc.)

▪ What words match with the symbol____? (teacher displays symbol)

▪ What word is in a category with___ and what is the name of the category?

▪ I will name two words in a category; you find another word on the word wall that belongs to that category and explain the association.

▪ My word is ____. Pick another word (or two other words) off the word wall and make a meaningful connection between the two words in a sentence.

o Word whacker –

1. Pass out an index card to each student and tell them to select any word on the word wall and write a good definition for it and collect the definitions.

2. Designate two students to stand in front of the word wall with a flyswatter (or a rolled up newspaper).

3. Read out the index cards that the students wrote and ask the students to whack the word for the definition that you read.

4. Talk about the construction of the definitions as they are read but do not identify the contributor if there are errors.

• What Doesn’t Belong and Why?

From a list of three or four words/terms/phrases, pick out a word/term/phrase that does not fit with the group and tell the mathematics that explains why. Select words or terms that have more than one correct answer.

• Word Sort

Begin with a set of words and ask students to arrange them into groups by whatever criteria they choose. They must tell why they grouped them that way, what they have in common, and why these terms are different from the words you have placed in a different group. Is there is a term in the group that could be a title for the group? If not, what is a good title for the group? Is there a term that doesn’t fit into any grouping? If so, ask students to create a group with the term that does not fit with any other term.

• Two-Way Sort

Terms that relate to the same topic may be confusing. A two-way sort offers students the opportunity to distinguish between terms through application. Students can work in small groups to sort the examples of the terms as well as to group the examples that deal with the same situation.

Step 6: Word Play

As has been demonstrated already, the sixth step emphasizes the importance of games that use the terms and phrases from the academic vocabulary. After each activity students should be asked to make corrections, additions, and changes to the entries in their notebooks. Students’ knowledge of the terms and phrases should deepen and become a sound foundation on which to understand the academic content presented in class.

• Taboo Words

This strategy forces students to think of several ways to word descriptions or definitions of terms and plays off a popular social game. Try to get your partner to say a particular term/word/phrase without using some of the other (taboo) words associated with it or forms of those words.

• Step UP or Pyramid

This review game is based on the format of the TV game show “$100,000 Pyramid.” Students are in pairs, one facing the screen, one with his/her back to the screen. On the PowerPoint slide show, enter the words in the boxes on the steps. Put a 5 second delay on the timing between words or adjust timing to suit your class level. You can also copy the stairs below on an overhead projector transparency, write the target words on the stairs and cover them with post-it flags and reveal them in succession. The student facing the screen gives clues (or names examples) for the category on the bottom step and continues to do give new clues until his/her partner has guessed the term. The clue giver repeats his responsibilities for each successive term up the stair case until one team yells, “Finished!” Teams earn the number of points for the last step they had completed before someone finished. Winners add 50 points to their score. Or if you want to be able to assess the groups, put the groups in teams of three. There will be one person who is not playing who can record the clues that were given. This person can also offer suggestions after play is over for another clue that might have helped the guesser.

The teacher can construct the categories from the current unit, around a theme (starts with...), or can just select words from review. The whole game takes less than a minute and students have the opportunity to express word meanings in their own words. If the partner is not guessing the correct category, the pair should determine if the examples were deficient or if the guesser did not know the meaning of the category. The students also have the chance to help one another with any troublesome terminology.

The same type game can be done with a pyramid starting with the lower left corner and completing the bottom row before going to the middle row left to right and then finally the top space. Again a third team member can record the clues and help analyze the play.

• Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk...

In this game students are in pairs (A and B), with student A facing the screen, and student B with his/her back to the screen. On the screen (PowerPoint, whiteboard, or overhead projector), a category is shown at the top of a page and the terms in the category will be shown in a list. The category will be shown first and student B can look at the screen to see the name of the category but must face away from the screen before the list is shown. Student A can describe any word on the screen and must continue talking until his/her partner has said every term on the screen in any order. No words on the list may be used while Student A is giving the clues. This game could be done on a whiteboard/chalkboard, with paper taped over the list or on an overhead transparency with the list covered until student B has seen the category and has turned away from the screen.

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Term being addressed

Related Word 1

Intervening Cell(s)

Intervening Cell(s)

Related Word 2

Given term

First word

Last word

Last word

First word

Word

1

Word

7

Word 4

Different Characteristic A

Different Characteristic C

Different Characteristic B

Term 1

Similarity

Similarity

Similarity

Different Characteristic A

Different Characteristic C

Different Characteristic B

Term 2

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